Co-payment

Also known simply as copays, co-payments are a common element of public (statutory) health insurance policies in Germany.

A co-payment is the fixed amount insured persons pay for covered medical services


Copays tend to differ depending on the service or treatment involved, particularly based on whether or not the treatment is considered to be essential, or whether a visit to a specialist is or is not required. The level of co-payment is set down in individual health insurance policies.

In Germany, people with public health insurance can expect to make a co-payment of around €10 per quarter for visits to their doctor as well as co-payments of €5–10 for prescription medicines (or 10% of the total cost).

Private health insurance providers in Germany do not tend to require co-payments but instead use deductibles as a means of having policyholders contribute a small percentage of their healthcare costs.

FAQ

The initial online enrollment is in German due to legal requirements. However, we are doing this together on the phone and we will of course help you through step by step. So no worries!

If you are eligible for private health insurance and you are in Germany on a visa or a limited permit, we can offer you the Expat Tariff up to five years.

You can claim a part of the costs for private health insurance as ‘Vorsorgeaufwendungen’ expenses in your tax return, this is what the Citizen Relief Act (Bürgerentlastungsgesetz) has been saying since 2010, namely the part that is considered basic coverage. We certify how high this portion is each year and you do not have to calculate it yourself. The basic share corresponds to the benefits of the public health insurance.

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